Technology has taken over the educational system world wide. In many ways, this is a good thing; it allows us to use less paper, do research quicker, and makes certain learning tools more available. While technological advancements have been beneficial to learning, they can also be detrimental to children’s mental and physical health. 

To start off, computers are harmful to a child’s developing eyes. Schools now use computers in almost every single classroom to take notes, complete daily assignments, and sometimes even to take tests. The increased screen time can lead to computer vision syndrome, nearsightedness, and increase a person’s risk of age-related eye diseases later in life. 

Computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain, is a condition that is caused by visual stress from extended screen time. Some symptoms include tired eyes, dried eyes, fatigue, and ]headaches. Prevent Blindness says, this is all caused by the increase in blue light that comes from the LED lights in laptops. Doctors have come up with blue light glasses where the lenses are able to block the light. 

In continuation, there are many physical problems that come with constant computer use. The most common of these problems is poor posture. When a student is sitting at a desk for seven hours a day, it is not likely that they are sitting up perfectly straight, especially if they are on a computer. While this seems like no big deal in the moment the effects can be catastrophic in the long run. U.S. News states, poor posture can lead to chronic back pain, spine curvature, and neck pain. 

In addition to physical effects, there are also negative effects on a child’s social development. According to EdNews Daily, kids lack social skills because they communicate online so often. They learn screen etiquette before they learn to be friends and interact in person. 

In conclusion, too much screen time is not worth the risk in the long run. Almost all of the physical problems that come with screen time are irreversible and can lead to a poor quality of life.